Hold away ladder attachments



Sept. 1, 1964 c. TERWILLIGER 3,146,854 HOLD AWAY LADDER ATTACHMENTS Filed March 28, 1962 INVENTOR. (KEV 1V JZIFMJZJ/ iTTaFA/FJ United States Patent M 3,146,854 HOLD AWAY LADDER ATTACHlVIENTS Calvin Terwilliger, Pine Bush, N.Y. Filed Mar. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 183,241 3 Claims. (Cl. 182-420) This invention relates to ladder attachments or the like and more specifically to such a device capable of providing safety and/ or auxiliary means therefor.

The novel device is particularly adapted for straight ladders and will be described therewith, but it should be understood that it is not limited thereto as such device has utility in combination with other types of ladder means.

When used with a ladder, the novel device can provide a working surface or a remote platform while holding the ladder off a Wall. Further, with the novel arrangement, the novel device provides additional stability over the normal ladder stability.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a device which is attached to a ladder to provide a spacer between the ladder and the supporting surface therefor.

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for spacing a ladder from the surface on which it is bearing with increased stability.

Another object of this invention is to provide the type attachment described above that provides a platform either at or remote from the working area.

And still another object of this invention is to provide a ladder attachment of the kind described above that is readily attachable and detachable, and has means to prevent inadvertant separation therefrom.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by referring to the following description when taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with the invention in combination with a portion of a ladder to which it is attached;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the novel device of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a back elevational view of the novel device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the novel device of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 1 of a novel device made in accordance with the invention and a ladder to which it is connected, and a portion of a building against which the novel device is bearing.

Referring now to the drawings, the novel device has a top plate that is connected to and spaced from a base plate 11 by an abutment spacer block 12. The plates 10 and 11 are substantially rectangular, except plate 10 has an extension 10' on the rear to rest on ladder rung. Block 12 and plate 11 have their rear surfaces alined and they set slightly inwardly of the rear edge of plate 10 to keep the device level when fastened to an inclined ladder, as shown in FIGURE 5.

A pair of legs 14 are pivotally connected to the plates 10 and 11 at the ends of the block 12 by pivot pins 15 and extend beyond the plates. Plate 10 has two series of holes 16 at its sides which are disposed on arcs in which the pins 15 represent centers therefor. Each leg 14 is Patented Sept. 1, 1964 adapted to receive a fastener 17 that extends through one of the holes 16 to lock the leg to plate 10 to prevent its swinging about its pivot 15.

As shown, the attachment device is connected to ladder by inserting the extension 10 between side rails S, over a selected upper rung R which will seat in the space 13 defined by the extension 10' and the rear side of the abutment spaces 12 as clearly shown in FIGURE 5.

To prevent the novel device from inadvertently separating from the ladder L, a pair of fasteners 19 connect the ends of a strap or clamp plate 18 to the rear surfaces of plates 10 and 11, the clamp plate 18 straddling the rung R. The fasteners 19 are shown as threaded bolts with wing nuts thereon, and by setting up on the wing nuts against clamp plate 18. The same will bring the attachment device tight against rails S of the ladder.

As may be seen in FIGURES 2 and 5, the free ends of the legs 14 abut against the wall W of a building. As the legs 14 are swung on their pivot 15 to change their angular positions, the distance between the wall W and the ladder L changes. Further, since the free ends of the legs 14 are outward of the rails S of the ladder L, the ladder will have less tendency to twist. Thus the ladder L will have increased safety and stability.

With the legs 14 extending in a horizontal plane, the plate 10 provides a flat horizontal surface upon which tools or other items may be placed for future or intermittent use. It should be realized that the novel device need not be placed in the immediate work area but beneath it and may then be used as a foot rest if a person Working on the ladder sits on a rung or may be placed above the work areas.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An attachment for a ladder having side rails and rungs; said attachment comprising a top plate, a bottom plate, an abutment spacer block interposed between said plates and secured thereto to hold said plates in assembled parallel relation, a rearward extension formed integral with said top plate intermediate the ends thereof and of a length such as to fit between said ladder side rails, the rear side of said block and said bottom plate lying in the same vertical plane and substantially in alignment with the rear side of said top plate, said spacer block being substantially of the same length as said top plate extension, a pair of forwardly extending arms positioned between said top and bottom plates, each disposed with its rear end adjacent an end of said spacer block, pivot means located at the rear ends of said arms for swingably connecting the same to said top and bottom plates, cooperating means on said top plate and arms for locking the latter in selected angular relation with respect to each other, said extension being adapted to seat on a ladder rung, a clamp plate supported by fastener devices on the rear side of said top and bottom plates arranged to straddle said ladder rung to clamp the attachment to said ladder side rails, said arms in their adjusted angular relation diverg ing forwardly beyond said ladder with their forward ends engageable with a supporting surface.

2. The ladder attachment of claim 1, wherein said cooperating means consists of an arcuate row of openings on the top plate for each arm concentric with its associated pivot means, an opening in each arm adapted to register with the openings in its associated row, and removable pin means for each arm insertable through a selected row opening and the opening in said arm for locking the arm in adjusted position, said arms being of such a length as to position the ladder spaced from said supporting surface, said arms further extending laterally beyond the ladder rails whereby to stabilize the ladder.

3. The ladder attachment of claim 2, wherein said clamp plate is located centrally with respect to said exten- 5 ment to clamp the same to said ladder rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Haislip Dec. 19, 1961 Chubbs Apr. 10, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Sept. 1, 1952 

1. AN ATTACHMENT FOR A LADDER HAVING SIDE RAILS AND RUNGS; SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A TOP PLATE, A BOTTOM PLATE, AN ABUTMENT SPACER BLOCK INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND SECURED THERETO TO HOLD SAID PLATES IN ASSEMBLED PARALLEL RELATION, A REARWARD EXTENSION FORMED INTEGRAL WITH SAID TOP PLATE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND OF A LENGTH SUCH AS TO FIT BETWEEN SAID LADDER SIDE RAILS, THE REAR SIDE OF SAID BLOCK AND SAID BOTTOM PLATE LYING IN THE SAME VERTICAL PLANE AND SUBSTANTIALLY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE REAR SIDE OF SAID TOP PLATE, SAID SPACER BLOCK BEING SUBSTANTIALLY OF THE SAME LENGTH AS SAID TOP PLATE EXTENSION, A PAIR OF FORWARDLY EXTENDING ARMS POSITIONED BETWEEN SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PLATES, EACH DISPOSED WITH ITS REAR END ADJACENT AN END OF SAID SPACER BLOCK, PIVOT MEANS LOCATED AT THE REAR ENDS OF SAID ARMS FOR SWINGABLY CONNECTING THE SAME TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PLATES, COOPERATING MEANS ON SAID TOP PLATE AND ARMS FOR LOCKING THE LATTER IN SELECTED ANGULAR RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER, SAID EXTENSION BEING ADAPATED TO SEAT ON A LADDER RUNG, A CLAMP PLATE SUPPORTED BY FASTENER DEVICES ON THE REAR SIDE OF SAID TOP AND BOTTOM PLATES ARRANGED TO STRADDLE SAID LADDER RUNG TO CLAMP THE ATTACHMENT TO SAID LADDER SIDE RAILS, SAID ARMS IN THEIR ADJUSTED ANGULAR RELATION DIVERGING FORWARDLY BEYOND SAID LADDER WITH THEIR FORWARD ENDS ENGAGEABLE WITH A SUPPORTING SURFACE. 